Euphorbia plant named &#39;Bonpoiakani&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpoiakani’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; inflorescences with large intense red-colored flower bracts that resist damage during transportation; relative low temperature tolerance during production; and good post-production longevity.

Botanical designation: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch.

Cultivar denomination: ‘BONPOIAKANI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Euphorbia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Bonpoiakani’.

The new Euphorbia plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the program is to create and develop new interspecific Euphorbia plants with upright and mounded plant habit and large sturdy flower bracts and relative tolerance to low temperatures.

The new Euphorbia plant originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in May, 2008 of a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch identified as code number 524, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch identified as code number 397, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Euphorbia plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia on Nov. 10, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Euphorbia plant by terminal vegetative cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia since November, 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Euphorbia plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bonpoiakani’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bonpoiakani’ as a new and distinct Euphorbia plant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Inflorescences with large intense red-colored flower bracts         that resist damage during transportation.     -   5. Relative low temperature tolerance during production.     -   6. Good post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia are larger than and not as         compact as plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia and the female parent selection         differ in flower bract shape as plants of the female parent         selection have flower bracts with serrated margins.

In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia have larger flower bracts than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Flower bracts of plants of the new Euphorbia have shorter         petioles than flower bracts of plants of the male parent         selection.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can be compared to plants of the Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckadire’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,846. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of ‘Eckadire’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. During production, plants of the new Euphorbia are more low         temperature tolerant than plants of ‘Eckadire’.     -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia flower about one week earlier         than plants of ‘Eckadire’.     -   3. Plants of the new Euphorbia and ‘Eckadire’ differ in flower         bract color as plants of ‘Eckadire’ have darker red-colored         flower bracts.     -   4. During transportation, flower bracts of plants of the new         Euphorbia are more resistant to damage than flower bracts of         plants of ‘Eckadire’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Euphorbia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Euphorbia plant.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonpoiakani’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bonpoiakani’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and described herewith in detail were grown during the autumn in 12-cm containers in an outdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practices typical of commercial Euphorbia production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged 13° C. Plants were five months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch     ‘Bonpoiakani’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch identified as code number             524, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Euphorbia             pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch identified as code number             397, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About nine days at             temperatures about 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C. to 22° C.         -   Root description.—Fibrous; typically white in color, actual             color of the roots is dependent on substrate composition,             water quality, fertilizer type and formulation, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit and form.—Upright and mounded plant habit;             inverted triangle; inflorescences positioned above the             foliar plane; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 17 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 30 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely             branching habit, about four lateral branches develop per             plant; pinching is not required. Length: About 9.4 cm.             Diameter: About 4.2 mm. Internode length: About 1.6 cm.             Aspect: Mostly upright to somewhat outwardly. Strength:             Strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; glossy. Color:             Close to 146B.         -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 7.5 cm. Width: About 4.2 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:             Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Shallowly serrate, irregular.             Texture and luster, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent;             matte. Texture and luster, lower surface: Sparsely             pubescent; prominent venation; matte. Venation pattern:             Pinnate, reticulate. Color: Developing leaves, upper             surface: Close to 137A. Developing leaves, lower surface:             Close to 138B. Fully developed leaves, upper surface: Close             to N137D; venation, close to 173D. Fully developed leaves,             lower surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 173D and             145C. Petioles: Length: About 2.4 cm. Diameter: About             1.7 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Color, upper surface: Close to 182A. Color, lower surface:             Close to 183B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with numerous flower bracts subtending             the cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliar             plane; during transportation, flower bracts resist damage.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About four inflorescences             develop per plant.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 22.3 cm.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 5.1 cm.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the             autumn and winter in Japan; inflorescence initiation and             development can also be induced under artificial long             nyctoperiod and short photoperiod conditions; early             flowering habit, plants flower about seven weeks under             natural season conditions in Japan.         -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;             plants of the new Euphorbia maintain good substance and             bract color for about seven weeks.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About eight.             Length, largest bracts: About 8 cm. Width, largest bracts:             About 4 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Cuspidate. Base: Cuneate.             Margin: Entire; very slightly undulate. Texture and luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Aspect:             Slightly upright to horizontal. Venation pattern: Pinnate,             reticulate. Color: Transitional bracts, upper surface:             Random sectors, close to 144C, 143C, 53C and 50B.             Transitional bracts, lower surface: Random sectors, close to             N170D and 185D; apex, close to 145A. Developing bracts,             upper surface: Close to 45B. Developing bracts, lower             surface: Close to 47B. Fully expanded bracts, upper surface:             Close to 46B; venation, close to 183B. Fully expanded             bracts, lower surface: Close to 47B; venation, close to             181B. Flower bract petioles: Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter:             About 1.5 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 183C. Color, lower             surface: Close to 47A.         -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About seven. Diameter of             cyathia cluster: About 1.9 cm. Height, individual cyathium:             About 5.4 mm. Diameter, individual cyathium: About 6.7 mm.             Shape, individual cyathium: Globose. Color: Close to 143B;             towards the apex, close to 53B. Nectaries: Quantity per             cyathium: One or two. Height, individual nectary: About             2.5 mm. Diameter, individual nectary: About 4.7 mm. Color:             Close to 7A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.8 mm. Diameter: About 1.8 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 145A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium: About             five. Filament length: About 5.7 mm. Filament color: Close             to 59A. Anther size: About 0.8 mm by 0.5 mm. Anther shape:             Lanceolate or globose. Anther color: Close to 163A and 179A.             Amount of pollen: Sparse. Pollen color: Close to 5A.             Pistils: To date, plants of the new Euphorbia have not been             observed to develop pistils. Seeds and fruits: To date, seed             and fruit production has not been observed on plants of the             new Euphorbia. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Euphorbia     plants. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have been     observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 8° C. to about     40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpoiakani’ as illustrated and described. 